Originally Posted by irishrose
The quilt I am finishing has been completely done on a 1956 Singer 301A. With the addition of a 1/4 inch foot, the machine has done a fantastic job. I have quilted a queen size quilt on my 1974 Elna that only has a 6 3/4 inch harp (space between the needle and the pillar.) The Singer has a slightly larger space. As the previous poster indicated, what you have is fine if it sews with a nice strong stitch balanced between the top and bottom tensions. I am ready to do my first FMQ ever. I'm not sure which machine to use. The Singer does a good sample, but I have better speed control with the Elna.
I sure would like to know which machine you end up using for the FMQ. I have a Singer 301. Love how it sews. Such a wonderful old machine. Also have a new Sapphire (Viking) and I really prefer the 301, but I have not used the 301 for FMQ yet.